Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,425 in South Korea versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,073 in South Korea versus $1,551 in China.

Living in South Korea is roughly 100% more expensive than China on average.

South Korea (6% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $535 to $1,206, compared to $1,246–$1,761 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₩10.9K

$2.86 ¥19.36

151.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.22 ₩65.6K

$23.29 ¥158

85.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩8,838

$4.83 ¥32.66

20.50%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,815

$3.04 ¥20.52

25.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₩2,398

$0.45 ¥3.03

251.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,184

$0.27 ¥1.81

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,532

$0.99 ¥6.71

267.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 ₩7,166

$2.03 ¥13.74

132.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,398

$1.75 ¥11.86

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,766

$1.67 ¥11.31

88.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,634

$0.97 ¥6.56

214.43%

Eggs

$3.11 ₩4,717

$1.54 ¥10.45

101.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 ₩21.3K

$13.30 ¥89.9

5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 ₩14.6K

$3.21 ¥21.69

198.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.17 ₩45.8K

$10.79 ¥73.0

179.61%

Apples (1kg)

$8.02 ₩12.2K

$1.81 ¥12.27

343.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 ₩5,341

$1.31 ¥8.84

168.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩8,812

$1.50 ¥10.15

287.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩9,551

$1.14 ¥7.74

451.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩5,585

$0.73 ¥4.90

404.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,493

$0.87 ¥5.86

240.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 ₩3,818

$0.57 ¥3.85

342.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₩1,810

$0.54 ¥3.63

120.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,992

$3.53 ¥23.88

-6.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 ₩25.1K

$11.71 ¥79.2

41.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₩3,199

$0.84 ¥5.67

151.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₩4,516

$1.67 ¥11.29

78.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,629

$0.41 ¥2.75

160.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.80 ₩71.0K

$20.78 ¥141

125.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 ₩5,107

$1.36 ¥9.21

147.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩875

$0.33 ¥2.21

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₩13.3K

$6.86 ¥46.40

27.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,882

$1.12 ¥7.57

10.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K ₩42.4M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

45.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.1K ₩36.5M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

42.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$168 ₩255.4K

$51.8 ¥350

224.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$41.60 ₩63.1K

$9.85 ¥66.6

322.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.62 ₩32.8K

$11.13 ¥75.3

94.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩78.9K

$39.10 ¥264

32.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 ₩29.8K

$14.89 ¥101

31.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩16.9K

$6.25 ¥42.24

77.60%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$383 ₩581.3K

$404 ¥2,732

-5.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ₩34.4M

$17.8K ¥120.5K

27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ₩88.9K

$46.11 ¥312

27.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.36 ₩73.4K

$32.27 ¥218

49.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 ₩121.0K

$72.7 ¥491

9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₩164.2K

$72.9 ¥493

48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₩950.9K

$445 ¥3,009

40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 ₩627.5K

$255 ¥1,727

61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 ₩2.4M

$927 ¥6,266

69.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 ₩1.5M

$532 ¥3,600

83.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ₩21.0M

$4,943 ¥33.4K

179.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,144 ₩10.8M

$2,492 ¥16.9K

186.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 ₩3.2M

$1,057 ¥7,148

96.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.06

3.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $457 in South Korea, $286 in China. Capital cities: $962 in Seoul vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,931 in South Korea, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 90% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 124% higher in South Korea, giving South Korea stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Korea vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $1,504 in South Korea, there's a 73% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In South Korea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.